Are you a regular gym rat? Do you consider yourself a fitness junkie who has recently put on a few pounds and its nagging you every now and then? You may consider using the much-touted branched-chain amino acid (BCAAs). Are BCAAs any good for you? Are they all that your needs to improve endurance and strength? Keep reading to learn about top 9 benefits of BCAA supplements for lean sexy muscle.
What are BCAAs?
Branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) refer to the essential amino acids commonly used to build muscle. These consist of three amino acids- valine, leucine, and isoleucine.
Once they are inside your body, BCAAs help activate protein synthesis and prevent the breakdown of muscles. Your body is unable to synthesize these building blocks; therefore; they must be taken from an external source.
In the recent years, BCAA supplements have made a comeback in the fitness world and with a good reason. BCAAs are considered an exercise recovery supplement since they prevent muscle loss and reduce protein breakdown. Studies showed that it can help athletes reduce fatigue, increase power output and accelerate fat loss. [1]
If you are looking forward to getting the most out of your gym sessions, BCAA supplements are here for you!
Still not convinced?
Keep reading to know about the 9 benefits of BCAA supplements and decide for yourself.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #1: Enhance Protein Synthesis
Believe it or not but BCAAs are your best option to trigger muscle protein synthesis. If you combine them with resistance exercise, they stimulate the mTORC signaling pathway which helps in muscle building.
Another great benefit of using these supplements is that they will minimize muscle loss. This is true even when you decide to take some time off from training due to a lack of time or a physical energy.
That’s right! BCAA supplements keep triggering protein synthesis even when you are too lazy to hit the gym. Due to this reason, the lean muscle in your body is preserved which helps to boost metabolism and fights fat gain.
What’s more exciting is that BCAA supplements increase the lean mass by 4 grams, which is way more than other supplements such as whey protein.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #2: Support Fat Loss
Studies show that BCAAs can help achieve more muscle and less fat in your body. Researchers consider leucine, a BCAA to be the magic bullet that triggers weight loss by increasing energy expenditure and stimulating fat oxidation.
Using BCAAs will help increase fat mobilization that leads to a more flexible metabolism. This means that you can lose fat much more easily.
Scientists also believe that BCAA supplements have certain “obesity-reducing effects”. These effects decrease body weight by stimulating the gene signaling that controls muscle building pathways.
So, if you want to get rid of body fat fast without any side effects, try these supplements now.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #3: Improves Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is said to increase your blood sugar levels which you can effectively control all thanks to BCAA supplements.
In a double-blind randomized control trial, scientists instructed 27 patients suffering from insulin resistance to take BCAA supplements. It was found that these supplements improved the insulin resistance in 10 of these patients successfully. [2]
One thing that you must remember is that a diabetic person has a dysfunctional BCAA metabolism and taking BCAAs can elevate insulin. So, these supplements must not be used as a proper treatment in such individuals.
Diabetics should instead focus more on attaining an optimal body composition through proper diet, exercise, and these supplements after consulting a doctor.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #4: Balances Hormones during High-Intensity Training
If you consider yourself a fitness freak, maintaining a balance in hormones is extremely important for you. And what is the best way to do this? BCAA supplements.
Hormonal balance is among the top benefits of BCAA supplements. By supporting hormone balance, these supplements play a crucial role in your ability to respond to training exercises.
The BCAA supplements also boost a faster recovery right after a strenuous workout session. So, do not forget to add them to your daily schedule, especially if you plan on performing some high-intensity, muscle-damaging exercises any time soon.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #5: Decreases Muscle Soreness
It is believed that BCAA supplements can help treat sore muscles after a workout. It is not uncommon to feel a little sore a day or two after working out. This is especially true if you are following a new exercise routine.
The soreness you feel in your muscles is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It usually develops 12 to 24 hours after exercising and may last for as long as 72 hours. While the exact reason of DOMS is unknown, researchers strongly believe that it occurs due to the tiny tears in muscles due to exercise.
If you suffer from this uncomforting problem more often, try including BCAA supplements in your pre-workout routine. BCAAs have been shown to reduce muscle soreness during exercise. It may also reduce the duration and severity of DOMS.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #6: Controls Exercise Fatigue
Just like BCAA supplements stimulate muscle growth and reduce muscle soreness, they may also be helpful in treating exercise-induced fatigue.
Your muscles tend to utilize BCAAs during exercise. This drops the level of these amino acids in the blood. As their levels decline, the amount of tryptophan, another amino acid begin to rise in your brain. [3]
Inside your brain, tryptophan is actively converted into serotonin, a brain chemical that contributes to the development of fatigue during an exercise session.
The only solution to this problem is increasing the BCAA levels in the blood, and relying on BCAA supplements can do the trick.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #7: Reducees Muscle Wasting
Because BCAAs trigger proteins synthesis, they can help reduce muscle breakdown or wasting. Muscle proteins are broken down and re-synthesized in your body all the time. The balance between the two processes is what determines the total amount of protein in your muscles.
When the protein breakdown exceeds the rate at which new protein is synthesized, muscle wasting occurs. This can be a sign of malnutrition that occurs due to a number of reasons like prolonged fasting, cancer, chronic infections, or as a part of the natural aging process.
In humans, BCAAs make up for approximately 35 percent of the essential amino acids constituting your muscle proteins. At the same time, they account for almost 40 percent of the total amino acids that your body requires.
Therefore, it is extremely important that you replace BCAAs along with other essential amino acids during muscle wasting. This will slow down the process and will eventually put it to end.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #8: Increases Energy
One of the top benefits of BCAA supplements includes increasing total body energy. Increasing the levels of BCAAs in your body can help increase the energy levels. This is because an increased amino acid level will allow these building blocks to compete with glucose to release energy.
In other words, BCAAs in high levels serve as a secondary source of energy.
In one study, scientists proved that people with high levels of amino acids require 36% less glucose as compared to those with normal levels of amino acids. [4]
Isoleucine, a type of BCAAs, has successfully decreased the use of glucose by 71 percent in muscles and 20 percent in blood. [5] Valine and iso-leucine can also be converted into glucose to get energy during the times of crisis.
BCAA supplementation before exercise can, therefore, provide enough energy to carry out intense exercises and lose fat more fastly.
Benefits of BCAA Supplements #9: Treat Liver Disease
BCAAs improve health in patients of cirrhosis, a chronic illness in which your liver is not able to function properly. A review of 16 studies has estimated that BCAA supplements have beneficial effects on the signs and symptoms of this disease. [6]
The liver is an important organ of your body and a primary fat metabolizer. In case of a liver disease such as cirrhosis, the liver tends to slow down and become sluggish.
Under such circumstances, the liver is unable to perform its job well. As a result, you start to pack on the pounds and face great difficulty in losing weight once you put on some pounds.
Scientific authorities recommend BCAA supplements as the best nutritional intervention for liver disease to prevent any complication. These supplements keep the liver healthy and regulate fat metabolism to prevent any unnecessary weight gain.
BCAA Pills or Powder: Which is Better?
You can purchase BCAA supplements in two different forms- powder and pills.
The powder form is taken two to four times a day. Each dose must contain 5 grams of this powder. This powder is consumed pre-workout, during exercise, and post-workout according to your preference.
Pills, on the other hand, have different recommendations regarding the dosage. Most of the supplements are recommended to be taken 2 to 3 times a day.
BCAA supplements in powder form may have a bad taste but are generally more popular and better than the capsule form. This is because powdered forms are stronger and provide a more intense effect with fewer doses. In contrast, you require a lot of BCAA pills to achieve the same effect.
In addition to this, pills take much more time to digest. The powdered form, on the other hand, digests quickly and provides more rapid effects.
The Final Verdict
Are you convinced about the benefits of BCAA supplements? The hype about BCAA supplements and their broad-ranging effects in the fitness and athletic world is true. The metabolic properties and energy production of these supplements are amazing and can help you achieve a stronger body with high muscle mass and low-fat content.
Another great supplement to accompany a BCAA regimen is garcinia cambogia. It is know for its fat burning power. Check it out now. Click here now.
If you want to learn more about supplements that will help you with fat loss, energy, sex drive, mental focus and more, download our free supplement guide. Get the real truth about supplements and what each type can do for you. Then you can logically choose ideal supplements for you. Complete the form below and we’ll give you instant access to it.
Till next time…